Blunt among the “no” votes on domestic violence bill

Sen. Roy Blunt was among those voting against the Violence Against Women Act on Tuesday, suggesting it strayed too far from its core purpose of combating domestic violence and sexual assault.

By a wide margin of 78-to-22, the Senate passed the bill, which would renew and expand the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. Republicans were split over the measure, with 23 voting in favor and 22—including Blunt—voting no.

Like other GOP lawmakers, Blunt objected to new provisions in the legislation that would widen the scope of the original law. He cited in particular a measure that would grant tribal courts the authority to prosecute non-Indians who abuse or assault Native American women.

“Unfortunately, the bill the Senate considered … has been politicized and includes elements that are irrelevant to the core purposes of VAWA, including an unconstitutional provision related to tribal courts,” Blunt said in a statement, which noted that he supported a narrower version of the legislation offered by one of his GOP colleagues.